Street-car fender.



PATENTED JUNE 23, 1903.

.11. P. SGHNEIDER. STREET OAR FENDER.

APPLICATION nnnn 001:. 10, 1902.

H0 MODEL,

No. 731.508. PATBNTEDJUNE 23, 190-3, E. P. SCHNEIDER. SI'BLBET GAR FENDER.

AEP'LIOATION FILED OUT-10,1902.

NO MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET Z- lijzfoir:

ria, in the county of erence to the fender-frame.

Patented June 23, 1903.

armor Unmet.

HENRY SCHNEIDER, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

STREET-CAR FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 731,508, dated June 23, 1903. Application filed October 10,1902. Serial No.126,641. (No model.)

To ttZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY P. SCHNEIDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Peo- Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street-Car Fenders; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to whichitappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in streetcar fenders, and has for one of its objects to provide a fender of peculiar form that will catch a person without injuring him in the slightest degree.

A further object is to provide a fender with cushions for receiving the person, said cushions being preferably in the form of pneumatic tubes.

. In the appended drawings, which form a part of this application, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a street-car, showing my improved fender attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portable attachment for the car to which my fender can be secured. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of one ofthe pneumatic tubes and its metal carrier. Fig. 4 is a detail view of a spring-bolt, showing manner of engaging and holding the fender. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a pneumatic tube and its holder. Fig.6 is a cross-section of the pneumatic tube and its carrier or holder shown in Fig. 3, showing its position with ref- Fig. 7 is a plan view of one of the tubes, showing its holder, both of which are of concave form and the reverse of that illustrated in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a side view'of the fender in section, showing horizontal braces therefor. Fig. 9 is a rearview of the fender-frame shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the movable attachment shown in Fig. 2, illustrating a projecting stud on which the fender is hinged.

In several of the figures, 1) indicates curved ribs occupying a vertical position and which, together with horizontal bars or braces a and a, constitute the frame of the fender. The said ribs and cross-bars are suitably secured together, as by riveting, and the front edges of the former members are serrated, as shown in Fig. 8, and within these are placed the pneumatic tubes H, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6. The preferredway of accomplishing the latter is to provide a metal strip of semicircular cross-section, as indicated in both Figs. 3 and 6 by e. Both edges of said strip 6 are provided with a rod d for stilfening purposes. The concaved strip is placed within one of the serrations or notches in the ribs b and is secured in any good manner. It is within these concaved portions that the tubes H are placed, and the manner of fastening them is immaterial, although the means I employ is very simple, and consists in providing a series of straps G, which encircle the tube and pass through perforations F F in the metal portions e, (indicated in Figs. 3 and 6,) and suitable fastening devices, such as buckles, are provided on the ends of said straps, by which the latter are firmly secured in place. Riveted or otherwise attached to the straps are loops 1, which constitute handles or grasping-pieces, to which the person caught may cling. By the above means it Will be clearly seen that the tubes are held within the conoaved portions in a very secure manner, and any number of the straps may be employed for thispurpose, as will be understood.

It is the intention in my'fenders, as in some others of its class, to project the lower end of the same forward sufficiently to provide a resting-place for the person caught without the necessity of having to hold onto the loops I, which in the majority of cases cannot be done by reason of the position in which the person is cast upon the fender.

The device constructed as described is now placed upon the car or other conveyance upon which it is to be used, and in the'case of a car it is hinged at'K in any desired manner,

the main point being to allow of a swinging movement on such hinges, so that, if desired, the fender may be bodily swung. Upon the dashboard is mounted a spring bolt or catch L, operated by a suitable lever within the car. The cross-bar a is provided with an aperture, as shown in Fig.15, through which the ISO said catch L projects, as in Fig. 4. At the forward ends of the ribs 1) beneath is secured a spring-shoej, Fig. 1, which rests, or rather slides, along on the rail when the fender is released, as in catching a person. It will now be understood that in case a person is upon the track the motorinan merely depresses the lever of the spring-catch L, which allows the fender to fall to its lowest position. The spring-shoes will of course limit the movement of the device and sustain it just above the rails, but low enough to prevent passing over the victim, but rather pass under him.

In Fig. 2 is shown a movable fender-carrier for convenience in transporting the fender from one end of the car to the other. This consists of a frame composed of the vertical rods m, which converge at the top and carry at their point of convergence a grooved wheel g, which runs upon a track P, extending around the edge of the roof of the car to the other end. The lower ends of the rods m each carry a grooved wheel or, which in turn traverses a track 0, extending along the running-board and terminating in a stop of some kind to prevent the frame leaving the car. The rods m are suitably braced, as shown, and, as shown in Fig. 10 in an enlarged detail view, the ends of the brace-rods extend through the lugs that hold them and terminate in studs 1", upon which the ears 8 of the ribs 1) are placed and suitably held. The spring-catch L is also provided for the movable fender-carrier, so that the same advantages are had when thus mounted as when mounted directly on the car.

The fender may be made either concaved in form or convexed, as shown in part in Figs. 5 and 7. The tubes are intended as cushions, as already pointed out; but I desire to make it understood that I do not wish to confine myself to air-tubes, since other kinds of cushions can be used with as good results, although I'prefer the air-cushions, since they can be made to conform to any shape of the fender and can be made as soft or hard as desired by simply changing the amount of air. The latter therefore provides the most desirable form of cushion. The various means for attaching the several parts together or to the car may be altered, as has already been stated, without departing from the spirit or intent of the invention.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. A street-car fender consisting of a series of vertically-arranged curved ribs held in rigid relation to one another the same pivotally carried on the car and adapted to have pivotal movement thereon for the purposes set forth, said ribs extending downward and forward in front of the car, there being serrations in the same, cushions seated in such serrations for the purposes explained, straps for securing the cushions in place and hand grasping means for the purposes set forth and described.

2. In a street-carfender, a series of ribs arranged vertically on the front of the car and formed with a bend in the manner set forth, there being a series of cushions seated in such ribs and serrations in the latter for receiving the said cushions, and grasping means arranged substantially as set forth.

3. In a street-car fender, a series of ribs arranged vertically on the front of the car such ribs together forming a rigid frame pivotally mounted on the car, said ribs formed with a bend downward and forward there being a series of serrations in the front edges of the ribs,a series of cushions horizontally arranged across the ribs and lying in the serrations, straps for securing the cushions in place, means for sustaining the frame in either its raised or lower position, and grasping means arranged substantially as set forth and described.

4. In a street-car fender a frame comprising a series of vertical ribs hinged to the car and adapted for pivotal movement thereon for the purposes set forth, there being serrations in the forward edges of said ribs, cushions seated in said serrations, straps surrounding the cushions for holding them in place and grasping means attached to the straps for the purposes described.

5. In a street-car fender a series of ribs formed edgewise into downward and forward extending members for the purposes set forth, the same being rigidly held with relation to one another there being serrations in the forward edges thereof, cushions seated and held in said serrations, the device thus constructed pivoted on the car, a spring-catch for sustaining the device in raised position and for releasing it for the purposes described, straps for securing the cushionsin place and grasping means arranged substantially as set forth.

6. In a street-car fender, a series of vertically-arranged ribs forming a frame the said ribs extending downward and forward from the car, serrations in the forward edges of the ribs, horizontal plates lying within the serrations, cushions lying upon the plates and secured thereto, means for pivoting the frame on the car, a catch for sustaining the frame in raised position and for permitting such frame to lower as described, straps for securing the cushions to the plates, and grasping means secured to the straps substantially as set forth.

7. In a street-car fender a series of ribs vertically arranged, pivotally held on the car, said ribs extending downward and forward, a series of cushions secured to the ribs and grasping means arranged substantially as and for the purposes explained.

8. In a street-car fender the combination of vertically-arranged ribs curved downward and forward as shown, there being serrations therein at the forward edges, horizontal cushions lying in said serrations, means for securing the cushions in place and grasping means for the purposes explained the entire device being pivoted on the car and adapted to be raised and lowered on said pivot as set forth.

7 9. In a streetcar fender a series of ribs 1) pivotally carried on the car and extending downward and forward there being serrations therein, horizontal cushions H lying in the serrations,-plates a between the cushions and the said ribs but secured to the latter, openings F in the said plates, straps G passing around the cushions, through the said openseries of metal plates of semicircular crosssection extending acrossthe frame, there being a series of notches in the ribs for receiving said semicircular plates, pneumatic cushions adapted to lie within the plates, means for securing the cushions to the latter and grasping means all arranged substantially in the manner and for the purposes described.

11. In a street-car fender a rolling carrier comprising a frame adapted to be moved on a track from one end of the car to the other, and a fender secured thereto to move with such carrier all for the purposes set forth and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY P. SCHNEIDER. Witnesses:

E. L. EDELEN, H. L. PALMER. 

